Vitalant needs your help! The current health crisis has resulted in a shortage of blood and donating blood is still an approved activity even under the stay-at-home order. Currently, all blood types and components are needed, with a significant need for platelets and type O blood donations. Platelets have a very short shelf life; only five days. Type O-negative blood is the universal blood type, frequently used in traumas, and can help stabilize all patients. Vitalant strives to maintain a 4-day supply of blood just to provide what patients need, and currently they are at less than half that for many blood types. In addition to barring non-healthy individuals from donating, Vitalant is alerting individuals not to donate if they have visited Mainland China, South Korea, Iran and Italy within 28 days, or have had a COVID-19 infection, or been exposed to someone suspected of having a COVID-19 infection. For more information visit Vitalant.org.
